Robcal1

Is AT&T to Blame for 3G's Performance in the iPhone?

AT&T is totally to blame for HORRIBLE reception everywhere in Northern Orange County (Anaheim specifically) California. Their own stores try to sell you on this incredible 3G coverage which is an absolute LIE!!! Oh and by the way, my white 3G iPhone is NO BETTER than the original iPhone with regards to phone reception whether 3G is enabled or not. Yet their new service plan dings you for extra money because of this network. Yes, when I have 5 bars on 3G; the iPhone is incredible! But these instances are few and far between no matter if I'm in L.A. or Orange County. And as far as I can see, that new update yesterday has done nothing at all to increase reception. I'm constantly on the verge of calling Apple and getting my money back like I did for the first iPhone. But no other cell phone maker makes a phone even remotely as good as the iPhone. I really wish AT&T would finally get their act together. It's so amazing to me how Verizon's service is "by a landslide" better than AT&T's. At least here in Southern California.

Apple's 3G iPhone Has Some Kinks to Resolve

Finally! A writer that's figured out what's wrong with this 3G piece of crap! I live in Anaheim, just south of the second largest populated city in the country (L.A.). Both of my iPhone's (the first one and now 3G), have never worked well. They drop calls constantly, that's if you can even receive or place one. After several calls over the past year, AT&T and Apple have both denied that there have been any quality issues with their network or the iPhone. They are both 100% liars!! And now this article gives some insight as to the real cause. Yes, this battery is ABSOLUTELY horrible!!! I'm lucky if I make it to lunchtime with a charge after it's been fully charged at 8 a.m. A car charger is not optional, it's a must!! Thank you Brian.

Analysts Weigh in on Apple Earnings; 10-15 Points More Downside?

You obviously have a MAJOR bias towards the decline of this incredible company. Your points are without question, the most ridiculous I've read yet. And I've read a lot!!! You seriously ought to be 100% embarrassed and you should be reprimanded by your boss for writing such filth. You really need to write a retraction for sounding so incredibly retarded!!! No details need to be pointed out, you're well aware of what you did wrong.

Apple Feels 'Max Pain'

You don't get anything!!! You have not once given any response to the facts I've continually listed. I'd like to see you talk smack in my face, punk! If anyone's ignorant it's YOU!!!

Apple Investors Nervous as Earnings Call Approaches

Again JW, supposed Phd, your point is ridiculous. We're talking about the here and now and how what's happening to Apple makes no sense at all! I don't care how long it takes to make my fortune. If it took 9 years like it took you, then fine. I'm just fed up with Apple management blowing it consistently this year. They're not going to get over on Wall Street, they're just not!!! They will get their butts kicked every single time. Now is an overall downward direction the direction you'd like Apple to head? How about if Apple took back that fortune you made in less than half the time? Have you stopped at all to think about that? If somebody doesn't do something soon, Apple's stock could seriously get punished! How could you possibly not be concerned? I don't care if you're willing to wait another 20 years for any kind of fortune.

Apple Feels 'Max Pain'

Apple's stock has especially been tested this year. Jobs and the management team have continually failed us shareholders. For example: Jobs still hasn't signed a deal with China Mobile. Why not? I think a guy like Ellison would have negotiated a deal last year. Yet we're still waiting. How about Oppenheimer constantly screwing up the guidance. Jobs consistently allows this to happen. How about the buyback that never happened when the stock dipped to $115? How about a single word out of anyone from the management team to say something, anything when the stock dipped to $115? Yet Jobs tells his employees to "hang in there," the hell with us shareholders. If a guy like Ellison had been in place since January, I believe he would have "shaken things up" through all of this and the stock would be much higher, as it should be.

Apple Investors Were Pinned on Friday

If they didn't provide guidance then the stock would really get punished! Then Steve Jobs could continue to make $1 per year for as long as he's CEO of Apple, and he can continue to lose all of his money to Apple stock DEPRECIATION. If Apple management didn't care about the stock price then why did Steve Jobs send an e-mail to his employees telling them to "hang in there" when the stock dipped from $203 to $130 at the time he made the comment?

Apple Investors Were Pinned on Friday

Sorry, I mean mutual fund managers control 85% of the money traded.

Apple Investors Were Pinned on Friday

None of you can sit there and tell any of us that Apple management is not solely responsible for their continual stock price collapse come earnings time!!! Wall Street knows Apple's business, Apple cannot continue to "fool" Wall Street!!! Wall Street controls 85% of the money traded. Apple management's responsibility is to properly report and guide the future results of the company. Apple management clearly fails to guide correctly every quarter, and Apple's stock price is punished accordingly.

The Irrational Preoccupation with Apple's Guidance

Andy, excellent article! I agree with a previous post about you listing actual facts. Apple has become less conservative with their guidance and they continually beat the analyst's estimates. But it's just not good enough. Apple managment is failing us shareholders. I agree that Wall Street is a HUGE crybaby when it comes to getting what they want. But the fact is that Wall Street has figured out Apple's business and they've got a pretty good beat on where Apple should guide. Now I absolutely hate to say this, but Wall Street is right for KILLING the stock every single time Apple management screws up the guidance! Doesn't Apple management get it by now? The big boys on Wall Street control most of the money that's traded. You can't pull the wool over their eyes. Yet Apple continues to fail at getting it right. If Apple cares anything about it's stock price going higher and the investors that have helped make Apple what it is today; then they're going to have to get even less conservative.

Buy Apple into Earnings

@Bradh2o: I agree with you about AT&T with regard to their service. It really is horrible. I live in Anaheim, CA. which is just a 30 minute drive south of L.A. (the 2nd most populous city in the U.S.). I've owned both the original and now the new iPhone and the service continues to be an absolute joke! I consistently have no bars or no service anytime I'm at home. If I drive around my area, the service comes and goes. I will keep the iPhone and put up with this ridiculous service since I spend most of my time away from home where their service is ok at best. By the way, Apple has issued me a full $400 refund for my original iPhone. Apple is well aware of exactly how bad AT&T's service really is, one CSR told me that they've issued a lot of refunds because of AT&T. Apple puts up with it because no other cell company will give them such a large subsidy for selling their products, thus allowing them to sell the iPhone for $199 and $299. And they expect us customers to tolerate it, which for the most part, we will.

Apple Feels 'Max Pain'

Hey JW, Phd. I CLEARLY understand what the article is all about. Just like I CLEARLY understand this weekend's post by Zack about how AAPL's direction is being manipulated by the "will" of the big boys. Like most of us Apple investors (long term), Zach is blown away by the continual BS we receive from the big boys. Why don't you try refuting any of the points I've made in my posts? Back up your claims of my supposed ignorance with actual facts! Are you also saying that Zach is ignorant for being just as bewildered as I am?

@ Apple Heavy: I clearly said in my post that if Larry Ellison was in tact as Apple's CEO with the SUCCESS that Apple has had (not Oracle); the stock would DEFINITELY be much higher than it is today. I stand by that statement 110%.

My overall point is this: How can Apple be down this badly YTD when they CONTINUALLY beat earnings estimates and defy everything that the media is telling us about the markets and everything that IS happening to the markets? Their fundamentals are excellent! But the market sucks. Like I said before, I understand selling off some Apple shares at some point this year due to the severity of the crisis we're still going through. But at the end of the day, are the big boys ever going to choose to notice the lines at AT&T and Apple stores for iPhones? How about the incredible sales figures of Macs? In my opinion, Apple is and will be the greatest growth story of the next ten years. We're now over 6-1/2 months into this year, I hope that the big boys start to wake up some time soon. Cause if Apple doesn't go up, there shouldn't be any hope for ANY stock!

Apple Feels 'Max Pain'

Well Zach, looks like the recent rally was a bunch of hot air. Your thesis stated that today would be a very important day to test the market; it failed again. I wish you weren't wrong about Apple having a good day, what a disaster!!! Even if earnings are good, it's going to be awfully hard to break past where the stock has been trading for over two months now. But if it's a good report, it'll get back above $200 within the next month for sure.

Now to the good stuff.

To AMT: Am I delusional that Apple is down almost 19% YTD as of today's close??? How can this be??? Macs, iPhones, iPods, and notebooks are literally flying off the shelves. So who's to blame??? In my opinion, Apple's stock is being punished because Wall Street isn't seeing what they want to see out of management. Partially, for the reasons I've already listed in my previous post and partially for reasons I am unable to identify. I don't care what you say, these reasons cannot and should not be ignored. Apple management has lost their touch. Yes, they were great when they were under pressure after the dot com boom. They were great when the iPod excelled. But that's ancient history. What have they done for all of us lately??? We all see their success and we back them up with the ultimate optimistic gift; we invest our hard earned dollars in their company because we love their products and we believe in their company. Isn't that what capitalism and being an American is all about? Now I'm a long term Apple stock holder and I agree that maybe some traders get easily bent out of shape cause they're in margin. Oh well, too bad, deal with it. But we must keep a close eye on management, they must be held accountable. Are you really willing to accept the fact that it's okay that Apple's down 19% YTD and chalk it up to market forces or the like. Take a look at the post by RIHARDM, a former CEO. He said he'd have this stock flying at around $600 per share. Could he really be that wrong, given the incredible success Apple's shown over the past year??? Yes, we all know that Apple would take a major hit in stock price if Jobs was ousted. But when do you say enough is enough??? His ego is killing us shareholders, slowly. Do you think Larry Ellison would have allowed this crap to happen if he was CEO? NO WAY! That pit bull would have taken Apple to new highs with the kind of success Apple has had so far this year. Thus the difference between a CEO and a someone who clearly isn't qualified for the job. Jobs is great for innovation, design, and presentations. Nothing else.

Apple Feels 'Max Pain'

Jobs' should not be the CEO, he should be the head of the design team. He was fired once and should be fired again!!! And we're not talking about past performance, we're talking about RIGHT NOW!!! Now I say minimum of 210-220 because of the moving around of money for all of the other companies that have reported negative earnings. If not for the bear market, there's no excuse for not being above $250 per share considering the here and now and everything Apple's done this year. Obviously, our differing opinions is what makes a market. I think that most people publishing a post here are well aware of valuation, market conditions, technical analysis, and rumors. Besides Zach's excellent article, in many people's opinion, Apple is being whipped around unfairly. Regardless of the worthless leadership at Apple.

Apple Feels 'Max Pain'

Couldn't possibly agree more with you, Will.